Service Area · Los Angeles County
General Contractor in West Hills, CA
Custom homes, ADUs, additions and second stories for West Hills homeowners, from 1960s tract houses on the Valley floor to hillside lots along Valley Circle Boulevard, permitted through LADBS.
- Licensed California general contractor
- Custom homes, ADUs & additions
- Permits with LADBS
- Written, line-item estimates
West Hills, CA
Building and Remodeling in West Hills
As a general contractor in West Hills, Simply Construction builds custom homes, ADUs, room additions, second stories and garages at the western edge of the San Fernando Valley. West Hills was part of Canoga Park until 1987, when the city approved its split into a separate neighborhood, and it still reads as two landscapes: planned tracts on the flat Valley floor and larger hillside lots climbing toward the Simi Hills.
West Hills remains a City of Los Angeles neighborhood, so permits run through LADBS and LA City Planning. We manage the whole path as a licensed California general contractor, from survey and engineering to plan check, inspections and final sign-off, with one point of contact for the owner throughout.
Local Knowledge
What Shapes Construction in West Hills
West Hills grew out of ranch and dairy land. George Platt set up Platt Ranch and its Cloverdale Dairy here in 1912, and the Peppergate Ranch was subdivided into housing in the 1960s, the same decade Fallbrook Square, now Fallbrook Center, opened. Two old ranch estates, Orcutt Ranch and Shadow Ranch, are now city Historic-Cultural Monuments, while El Escorpion Park, Bell Canyon Park and the Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve keep the western edge open.
That western edge is where fire risk concentrates. When the 2018 Woolsey Fire started near the former Rocketdyne site in the Simi Hills, West Hills received the first mandatory evacuation order inside Los Angeles city limits, covering homes west of Valley Circle Boulevard between Roscoe Boulevard and Vanowen Street. The fire department reported no seriously damaged homes within the city, but the episode explains why hillside lots here are built with wildfire in mind.
The terrain also decides which floor area rules apply: flat lots fall under the Baseline Mansionization Ordinance, and hillside parcels fall under the Baseline Hillside Ordinance.
Services
Construction & Remodeling Services in West Hills
From ground-up homes to kitchens, here is how each of our services applies to West Hills properties.
Custom Home Building in West Hills
Custom homes in West Hills usually replace a 1960s tract house or go onto one of the larger hillside lots west of Valley Circle Boulevard. A tear-down on a flat lot is sized by the Baseline Mansionization Ordinance's floor area limit, while a hillside site brings the Baseline Hillside Ordinance, grading review and usually a geotechnical report. Lots facing the open space near El Escorpion Park and the Upper Las Virgenes preserve sit beside brush, so the new house is detailed for wildfire from the foundation up, and Title 24 solar is part of the plan set.
ADU Construction in West Hills
Many West Hills tract lots have a deep, level backyard that suits a detached ADU. State law lets that unit reach at least 800 square feet even where local limits are tighter, and a unit under 750 square feet avoids impact fees. On hillside parcels closer to Valley Circle Boulevard, getting materials onto the lot and running a sewer line that can reach the street become the design drivers. The city must decide a complete ADU application within 60 days, so we make sure the set is complete when it goes in.
Garage Conversions in West Hills
The attached two-car garage on a 1960s West Hills tract home converts well into a studio ADU or a guest suite, and the state does not make you replace the lost parking. The work usually means sealing or raising the slab against moisture, framing a new exterior wall where the door was, adding insulation and egress windows, and running new electrical and plumbing. We match the original siding and roof so the change looks intentional from the street.
Room Additions in West Hills
Room additions in West Hills commonly extend a single-story house into the backyard to add a primary suite, a family room or a home office. We check the Baseline Mansionization Ordinance limit first, because on some lots the floor area cap, not the setbacks, sets how large the addition can be. Tying new framing into an older foundation, matching rooflines and extending the heating and cooling to serve the new rooms are all part of the scope.
Second-Story Additions in West Hills
A second story is one way West Hills owners gain bedrooms without giving up the yard. The original 1960s footings often can't carry the added load, so an engineer designs new pad footings and shear walls first, and the stair is placed so the downstairs layout still works. On hillside parcels, height limits and the Baseline Hillside Ordinance come into play, and views toward Castle Peak or the Simi Hills are worth planning the upper rooms around.
Garage Construction in West Hills
New garages in West Hills range from a detached two-car garage at the back of a flat lot to one built into a hillside with a retaining wall as its back wall. A garage with an ADU above or beside it can be permitted as one project. On slopes, the retaining wall and drainage need engineering, and a garage near the brush line west of Valley Circle Boulevard gets ignition-resistant cladding and ember-resistant vents.
Whole-House Remodeling in West Hills
Much of West Hills dates from the tract building that began in the 1960s, and some homes still have original layouts, small closets and aging systems. A whole-house remodel lets you rewire, replumb, add insulation and dual-pane windows, and reorganize rooms under one permit instead of piecemeal over years. We also look hard at the roof and attic, since reroofing with fire-rated materials makes sense for homes on the western hillside edge.
Kitchen Remodeling in West Hills
Kitchens in many 1960s West Hills tract houses were built as closed rooms, and a common change is opening them to the family room. That can mean a new beam, a relocated gas line and a larger electrical service to support induction cooking, heat pump appliances or an EV charger at the same time. We handle the engineering and the LADBS permit, and we plan the cabinet and island layout around how the family actually cooks.
Bathroom Remodeling in West Hills
Hall baths in West Hills homes from the 1960s sometimes still have their original tile, cast iron tub and small window. We strip them to the studs, replace old supply and drain lines, and rebuild with waterproofing membranes, a quiet exhaust fan vented outdoors and better lighting. Primary bath remodels can borrow space from an adjacent closet, and for aging in place we can build curbless showers, blocking for grab bars and wider doorways.
Fire Rebuilds in West Hills
The 2018 Woolsey Fire brought the first mandatory evacuation inside Los Angeles city limits to West Hills, for homes west of Valley Circle Boulevard. If a fire damages or destroys a home here, we carry the rebuild from a cleared site through LADBS review and inspections, built to the state's wildfire standards, which call for items such as Class A roofing, ember-resistant attic vents and dual-pane windows with tempered glass. We also work with the owner's insurance adjuster on scope.
Junior ADUs (JADU) in West Hills
A West Hills JADU usually takes over part of an attached garage or a bedroom at the end of the hall. It can be up to 500 square feet, must stay within the existing house, and needs at least an efficiency kitchen with a sink, a cooking appliance and counter space. It is a lower-cost way to house a parent or an adult child without putting a separate structure in the yard.
SB 9 Lot Splits & Duplexes in West Hills
Flat single-family lots in West Hills may qualify for an SB 9 urban lot split or a duplex. Each new parcel must be at least 1,200 square feet and 40 percent of the original lot, and the owner signs an affidavit to live in one unit for 3 years. Hillside lots west of Valley Circle Boulevard are more likely to sit in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, which excludes them unless the required fire mitigation measures are met. We confirm eligibility before any design work.
Patios, Decks & Outdoor Living in West Hills
Summer heat at the western end of the Valley makes covered outdoor space useful for much of the year. We build solid and louvered patio covers, decks on sloped lots, outdoor kitchens with gas and electrical, and hardscape that drains away from the house. On hillside lots facing the open space, we use ignition-resistant decking and keep combustible structures away from the house where fire rules call for it.
Why Choose Us
Why West Hills Homeowners Choose Simply Construction
Licensed, Bonded and Easy to Verify
Simply Construction inc. is a licensed California general contractor, CSLB [CSLB LICENSE # PLACEHOLDER]. State law requires a license for any job of $1,000 or more in labor and materials, and anyone can check a contractor's license, bond and workers' compensation status on the CSLB website in about a minute. We encourage every West Hills homeowner to do exactly that before signing with anyone, including us.
Permits Handled With LADBS
Most delays on large residential projects start at the permit counter. We prepare the drawing set, coordinate structural and Title 24 energy calculations, answer plan-check comments and schedule inspections with LADBS, so you are not the one chasing corrections. For ADUs, state law requires the agency to act on a complete application within 60 days, and a complete, well-coordinated submittal is what starts that clock.
Care for Your Street and Your Neighbors
Large projects happen next door to people who live there. We plan staging, dumpster placement, deliveries and working hours around West Hills rules, keep the site secured at the end of each day, and give you notice before loud or disruptive phases such as demolition, concrete pours or crane lifts, so you can give your neighbors a heads-up too.
Nearby Service Areas
We Also Build Near West Hills
FAQ
Building in West Hills: Common Questions
Does LADBS handle permits for West Hills even though it has its own name?
Yes. West Hills separated from Canoga Park in 1987 as a named neighborhood, but it remains part of the City of Los Angeles. Building permits come from LADBS, zoning questions go to LA City Planning, and hillside lots near brush can also involve the Los Angeles Fire Department. There is no separate city hall or building department to deal with.
Is my West Hills lot in a high fire hazard area?
Lots near the western open space, especially west of Valley Circle Boulevard, are the most exposed, and that area was ordered to evacuate during the 2018 Woolsey Fire. The state's fire hazard severity zone maps show the official designation for each parcel. A very high designation affects building materials, brush clearance and SB 9 eligibility, so we check it at the start.
Can a 1960s West Hills house take a second story?
Usually, but the house needs an engineering review first. Footings from that era were sized for a single story, so new pad footings, hold-downs and shear walls are common. Floor area limits under the city's mansionization or hillside ordinance also set how big the addition can be. We bring in the structural engineer early so the budget reflects the foundation work from day one.
Start Your Project
Start Your West Hills Project
Tell us what you are planning. We will visit the property, talk through options and costs, and send a written, line-item estimate.
Licensed California General Contractor · CSLB [CSLB LICENSE # PLACEHOLDER]